Under Mississippi’s current law, each of those instances is considered a misdemeanor unless the alleged offender has previously been arrested for animal cruelty.

One Mississippi senator is hoping to change that.

Sen. Angela Burks Hill, R-Picayune, has pre-filed a bill for the 2017 legislative session that would seek to make aggravated animal cruelty a felony as well as allow law enforcement to charge offenders with multiple counts of animal abuse, an option that is not currently available.

Hill introduced a similar bill last session, Senate Bill 2174, but it never made it out of committee. She’s made minor adjustments to the bill for the 2017 session. In the 2016 version, judges could decide whether the offender should undergo counseling. The amended bill would read an offender “shall undergo psychological counseling.”

“There is ample evidence out there that people who abuse dogs and cats will typically abuse people as well,” Hill said.

In 2015, the FBI added animal cruelty to the National Incident Based Reporting System. The yearly list tracks crime such as homicides and armed robberies, according to Brett Carr, spokesman for the Jackson FBI office.

Carr said each state reports its crime statistics to the FBI on a voluntary basis.

“They’re not required to submit this data but obviously it does help nationally to help track crime statistics around the county,” Carr said.

Hill said, by passing the bill, Mississippi could assist the FBI in tracking those responsible for harming animals.

“When you set a dog on fire or scald a cat in the cage, that’s not a petty crime, that is a serious violent crime and that’s a disturbed individual,” she said. “The FBI wants a way to track those people, and we’re not giving it to them.”

Wiggins Police Chief Matt Barnett said he feels animal abuse is a key indicator that a person is likely to harm a person as well.

“It’s mind boggling when you look at the numbers,” Barnett said. “It’s like a great predictor… Jeffrey Dahmer, the Boston strangler, it just goes on and on.“

Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace said he, too, believes animal abuse can lead to more violent crimes.

Pace recalled a case where a man sliced the throats of three puppies and left them on the hood of his ex-girlfriend’s car.

“Somebody that will do that just to make some absurd point to a girl that he is angry with makes one wonder what would he do to her,” Pace said.

Pace said, without getting into specifics, he would support stricter animal cruelty laws in the state.

“I do think Mississippi needs to revisit our animal cruelty laws," he said. "Not only do we as a civilized society have an obligation to not only protect our domestic animals, our pets, but also to send that message to our children that it’s not OK to torture animals. I think the way to do that is to send a message loud and clear from the state Legislature that this type of behavior will not be tolerated and ... that it be in the state code.”

Barnett agreed and used the FBI’s reporting system to support his position.

“When the FBI adds something to the uniform crime report, it’s time for people to step up and start looking about what’s going on. I do not know why we can’t get this thing out of committee onto the legislative floor.”

Hill said she has been met with staunch opposition regarding the bill. The bulk of it, she said, is from Farm Bureau of Mississippi.

“I don’t have a problem with Farm Bureau,” she said. “Apparently they have a problem with me.”

Farm Bureau did not return requests seeking comment.

However, last legislative session, Farm Bureau issued a comment to The Clarion-Ledger on the animal cruelty bill saying, "“The Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation is adamantly opposed to the cruelty, abuse, or mistreatment of any animal. … Farm Bureau would like to see the current law enforced to its fullest extent before adding additional laws.”

Under the current law, those who commit simple cruelty, which includes depriving a dog or cat of food, water or shelter, face a maximum fine of $1,000, up to six months in jail or both. Aggravated cruelty, which includes torturing, starving, burning or disfiguring a dog or cat, is considered a misdemeanor on the first offense, with punishment of up to a $2,500 fine, up to six months in jail or both. A second offense of aggravated cruelty is only considered a felony if it’s done within five years of the first conviction, and it carries a penalty of a $5,000 fine and one to five years of jail time.

Hill said, to her understanding, misinformation has circulated about the bill and its ramifications on farmers. The bill is strictly limited to domestic pets, dogs and cats, she said.

“My grandfather was a cattle farmer. I have many, many constituents that are farmers,” she said. “There is no truth to that (rumor) whatsoever, and anybody that can read can read the bill and discern that it’s not any type of extreme animal rights bill. If you take the time to go read the bill, you will see that what was circulated through Farm Bureau’s lobbyists, through their chain of command, was not even true.”

Doll Stanley, with In Defense of Animals, also pointed to Farm Bureau as a strong opponent to the bill.

“Authorities and the public needs to take these horrifying incidents as seriously as the pain and injury these helpless victims endured,” Stanley said. “Perpetrators of heinous crimes to animals are ruthlessly violent and find their victims among the weak. Their pleasure in the suffering of others knows no boundaries, and we must all act now to protect future victims and seek justice for the innocent victims.”

Barnett said he does not understand why the bill has previously faced opposition.

“It’s just a shame when these animals have to either be put to sleep or either go through this long rehabilitative process,” he said. “Let it get out of committee and get it to the House and Senate floor and at least get a vote on it and look at the facts, not what we think.”

Hill said she’s not optimistic the bill will be passed or even make it out of committee. However, she said she would be willing to compromise so even a portion of the bill makes it to the floor.

“I’ll be surprised if it passes,” she said. “I’ve seen so many things that need to be done in the Legislature just sit there because of convoluted opposition. If they just did the FBI reporting requirement, that would be better than nothing. Nobody even wants to come to the table and talk about it. ‘Don’t talk about it, kill it, we can’t do this because it’s going to spread out to slaughterhouse and cow sales.’ This has nothing to do with PETA. I eat USDA Choice beef. I’m not a vegetarian. This is not extreme animal rights. This is law enforcement.”